While this is good advice it is still lacking. Why is that? Many of us think before speaking. We think about how the other person is wrong. How they are misjudging us. That they obviously don’t understand. Maybe if we showed them the error of their ways they would change their thinking, etc.

See we do think before we speak. Yet we as believers need to do more. We need to:

“Think before we speak,

then speak only with the mind of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. ESV

This is from the passage where Paul is speaking about how the unspiritual, natural man doesn’t understand the spiritual things, the things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:12-1612 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.
16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. ESV

So even if we do speak with the mind of Christ that does not mean those we are speaking with will understand.

Romans 12:1-21 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ESV

We should have had our minds renewed and not be conformed to the world.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: KJV

Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ESV

Philippians 2:1-111 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ESV

That is often the case. Especially when it involves defending myself from being misunderstood or misrepresented.

However, we should not hesitate to speak when the Lord is misunderstood or misrepresented. I often though find myself not wanting to speak when I know I should. Especially if I reason that they aren’t going to listen anyway. But then by my silence I have condoned the action or the statement.

First Things First

The most important fact necessary before reading this website is to examine yourself to see if you are a Christian. If you are not a Christian, much of this would be ‘Foolishness’ to you.
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1 Cor 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
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If you are not a Christian then I recommend reading the following:

What is a Berean?

Acts 17:11
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." NIV

My Purpose

Comments

Please feel free to leave comments and you do not have to agree with me. But if you disagree please be kind enough to share the Scriptural reasons.

Great Books

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